


as long as i'm with you

by StardustFandoms



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, James is sick in this one folks, Not Beta Read, Protective Jessie, Sick James, Sickfic, Slice of Life, Things might get a little steamy at the end, This was purely self indulgence, but not in the way you think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardustFandoms/pseuds/StardustFandoms
Summary: James falls ill shortly after the events of DP146 and it's up to Jessie to take care of him this time.
Relationships: Kojirou | James & Musashi | Jessie & Rocket-dan Nyarth | Team Rocket Meowth, Kojirou | James/Musashi | Jessie
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	1. The Realization

**Author's Note:**

> It is currently 12:46 AM and I should have gone to sleep a long time ago considering I am both sick and a terribly long day ahead of me tomorrow, well technically it's today but whatever. Anyways, I couldn't help myself. I know this fandom is very very dead but my emotions aren't so here ya go.

They had been sent blasting off again, as if that surprised James at this point. They landed in a tree this time, before falling down onto the hard earth. Countless hard landings had left him and his team somewhat used to the pain, but it still hurt, nonetheless. It appeared as though he had landed on a rock, and a sharp pain surged through his side with every step. They were walking in moody silence along a forested path, hoping to find an unoccupied cabin before nightfall, which was fast approaching. James was anxious to get there, as he felt an unusual ache settle on his bones. He tried to play it off as simple exhaustion, but he was slightly worried as he realized what that sort of pang usually meant. Oh no. 

He glanced discreetly at his partners, who were walking a few feet beside him. Jessie looked no better than him, her delicate face was all scratched up, and she had branches sticking out through her fiery hair which James would probably have to help remove as she rambles furiously about the twerps or an upcoming contest. Meowth seemed to be nursing a hurt paw as he held it close to his chest. James sighed and wrinkled his nose as he suddenly became aware of a slight tickle at the back of his throat. Before he could even register what was happening, he felt a sneeze rise up. 

“Ahchoo!” 

This seemed to snap his teammates out of their respective dazes and they both turned to look at him. He sniffled and looked away, a faint blush spreading across his pale cheeks. 

“I’m fine, must be something in the air”. He chuckled nervously, hoping his companions too tired to notice the stuffiness that edged his voice. That hadn’t been there before, right? 

James sniffled unconsciously once more and made a mental note to stop himself. He couldn’t get sick; they had a schedule to keep up with! They were already slightly behind, considering the time they had to spend in one place while Jessie recovered from her own sickness. James found himself regretting not taking better precautions while taking care of her. He could feel Jessie’s scrutinizing glare as she read him like an open book. Jessie was surely aware of what was happening, which meant his battle was already lost before it even started. If he could only manage to stop this before it developed completely. Yes, that was what he needed to do. Today he would go to bed early and rest up and then be good as new! James tried to convince himself of this as he swallowed and felt a tinge of soreness. It was going to be a long night. 

The team managed to locate the cabin just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Thankfully, they still had enough light left for Jessie to locate the key from under the welcome mat and let them in. James almost ran in, only restraining himself in order to retain his dignity in front of his teammates. He was desperate to escape the chilly nightly breeze and buried himself almost immediately into the kotatsu. Jessie, bless her heart, plugged it in for him as he began to melt into the soothing heat. James could vaguely make out the conversation Jessie seemed to be having with Meowth, all he could think about was getting warm. He was trembling by the time Jessie got to him and pressed her hand gently against his forehead. James leaned into her cool touch and let out a very unbecoming whimper when she pulled it away. 

“Couldn't even make it until tomorrow, huh, rich boy?” She teased, placing a kiss into his sweat-soaked lavender hair. 

James could hear her footsteps retreat as she walked to the kitchen and continued her conversation with Meowth. He knew they were talking about him, probably discussing how they were going to have to rest for a few days before continuing, putting them very behind schedule and perhaps causing Jessie to miss the next contest. The mere thought of disappointing Jessie made him struggle weakly against the kotatsu in a bid to get up. His head swirled at the sudden movement, and he immediately fell back onto his injured side. James yelped at the sudden pain, which alerted his teammates to his attempts at doing anything that was not resting. 

Jessie walked over to him once more, this time holding a wet handkerchief, which was placed against his forehead. The sudden coolness made him shiver and curl more into the kotatsu. He could feel Jessie’s hand against his shoulder, a comforting touch which fueled his struggle. 

“I-I’m fine, Jess, really”. He stuttered feebly, pawing at the kotatsu to try and stand up once more. His throat ached as he spoke, and he swallowed dryly. The hand at his shoulder held him down and prevented him from trying it again, however. 

James was pretty sure he heard Jessie scoff before saying “I’m sure you are, dear”. 

Did Jessie just call him ‘dear’? James’ heart jumped slightly in his chest. Jessie never used pet names with him, not even when their relationship had taken a turn towards the romantic. He really hoped this wasn’t a fever dream. James opened his eyes and turned up to stare at his partner. She had begun rubbing tiny circles into his shoulder, and he let out a small sigh. Jessie still hadn't removed the branches from her hair, and her face was still scratched and smudged with dirt. Yet, James was sure he had never seen a more beautiful sight as he stared at his Jessie. Her normally piercing sapphire gaze was softened into something James could only hope was affection. 

“Get some rest”, She said sternly. “We’re not leaving until you do”. 

“But-”. James tried to protest but was interrupted by a sharp glare and a hard squeeze to the shoulder. 

“This isn’t up for negotiation, James”. She scolded, frustration finally taking hold. 

James bit his lip and looked down. He was so exhausted, and his whole body ached probably due to the fever. He guessed it wouldn't hurt to rest for now. Besides, if he did, he would be better by tomorrow, and they would be able to leave in time for Jessie’s contest. He could feel the edges of his vision darkening, all he had to do was close his eyes and it would all be over. He could finally rest. Jessie’s removed her hand from his shoulder, and he silently mourned the loss. Two fingers then turned his head and he was suddenly very, very close to Jessie’s face. 

“It’s okay. Rest.” She whispered before kissing him on the cheek and sauntering away. 

And almost as soon as she turned away, he was already asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie just chills with Meowth to avoid her crippling guilt at giving James her sickness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am very sleep deprived. sorry for shortness of chapter i will definitely write more in later chapters. bonus points if you can guess what show they are watching.

Jessie sighed as she walked away from her partner. She could still hear his labored breathing even as she walked across the spacious cabin. It was actually one of the nicest they’ve stayed at. For starters, it had a bathroom, which meant she didn’t have to wait until they made it to town for a long-deserved bath. She picked furiously at the twigs in her hair and tossed them onto the floor. They had been lucky enough to find food left behind by previous travelers, which included several packets of tea. Jessie would have jumped for joy were it not for the constant worry gnawing at her insides. The tea would probably be better off saved for James, anyways. There were also some small bags of rice, which she quickly put one to soak on the stove. 

Meowth sat curled up on the couch, watching some random show on the TV. Jessie slid in next to him and patted at her lap. Without even batting an eye, the cat Pokémon sauntered onto her and curled up once more. Already knowing his favorite spots, it only took a few minutes of petting before he began purring contentedly. 

“Remember, not a word to-” Meowth started but was cut off. 

“I know, Meowth. You don’t have to say it every time we do this”. Jessie said, annoyed. 

“I just want to make sure, that’s all”. The cat mumbled under his breath. 

“What are we going to do about James?” Jessie asked abruptly, her words spilling out a little faster than they should have. 

Meowth tilted his head upwards to look at Jessie while he spoke. “What do you mean? Obviously, we’ve got to stay here for a bit. Not that I mind though, this place rules!” 

Jessie closed her eyes and nodded, her emotional mask still showing no sign of breaking. 

The cat turned back and fixed his gaze on the TV again. “Of course, we’d need to make up for lost time, which means doubling our efforts at catching Pikachu!” The cat Pokémon continued on cheerfully. 

“His breathing sounds pretty bad, don’t you think?” Jessie tried to say nonchalantly, but Meowth knew her far too well to not notice the edge to her voice. 

“I guess, just give it some time, Jess. I’m sure he’ll get better in a few days”. Meowth tried to comfort her. 

Jessie gave a hum in agreement and decided to wash away her worries by watching some television. She figured she would have to play nurse to James, which meant it was going to be a long night. And even if she didn’t stay up on purpose, she wasn’t sure she would be able to get her beauty sleep with her partner’s lungs sounding like they belonged to a 70-year-old smoker. 

The TV seemed to be playing a show about an office and its employees. Personally, she thought it was kind of pointless, but she couldn’t deny that some parts had both her and her feline companion rolling in laughter. It definitely helped Jessie keep her worry at bay, along with the steady commentary from Meowth. 

“Oh, for crying out loud, she obviously likes you! Stop pretending like you’re over her and just bang already!” Meowth yelled at the onscreen character, causing Jessie to chuckle and pet his head in order to get him to calm down. 

“Shh, or you’ll wake up sleeping beauty over there”. Jessie chided playfully as she pointed to the snoring lump nestled under the futon of the kotatsu. 

“Speaking of sleep”, Meowth yawned and unfurled himself from Jessie’s lap in order to stretch. “I think I'm going to get some shut-eye. You think you can handle yourself?” 

“Of course, I can! How dare you think I’m not able to take care of him?” Jessie yelled at the cat Pokémon indignantly. 

“Well, I mean you ain’t exactly the motherly type”. Meowth retorted, climbing off Jessie and down to the floor. 

“Why you little-” Jessie said furiously and began to get up to go after him, but a pained groan stopped both of them dead in their tracks. 

“See, look what you did!” Jessie whispered angrily as she glared daggers at Meowth. 

The bundle under the blanket turned away from the pair before the room was filled with soft snores once again. 

Both parties exhaled a sigh of relief, their previous scuffle forgotten just as easily as it arrived.


	3. Love Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James has a realistic fever dream and realizes some very important things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah two chapters in two days? I feel so productive. Anyways enjoy the latest chapter of me making James suffer.

James' eyes snapped open when he heard a very sharp, familiar sound. He quickly pulled himself up from the floor and gazed at his surroundings. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks as he finally realized where he was. His parent’s basement. More specifically, the dungeon Jessebelle and them had designed to be his own little slice of hell. Weapons glinted on every side of the room like deadly stars. They were the least of his worries, however, when he heard the same noise again, only this time extremely aware of what it was. The crack of a whip. Panic surged through James as he bolted out of the room and attempt to escape. 

He could hear her accentuated giddy laughter resonating behind him, sounding so innocent when its everything but. He reached the end of the hallway now, and James could feel himself whine as he palmed blindly at the wall behind him. A few feet away stood the bane of his existence, a paradox dressed in fine silk. She was his fiancée, the person who was supposed to love him unconditionally, for what he was. The person whom he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with, who he was supposed to cherish, in sickness and in health. Yet, she wasn't any of that. She was a demanding, abusive brat who tried to change who he was for her benefit. 

She didn’t love him; she only loved the idea of having him as a pet. A servant at her every beck and call. James was supposed to be the villain, but Jessebelle disgusted him. How could his parents expect him to subject himself to all that torture? He could hear the echoes of Jessebelle’s high heels making their way down the hall. He was trapped. Or maybe he had never been free at all. They said it would be good for him, to be ‘set straight’ by her. He was broken in their eyes. Their delinquent, runaway son who needed to be fixed with a whip and an equally sharp tongue. Had they ever loved him? Has anyone ever loved him? James could feel tears welling, but he blinked them away furiously. 

A pained sob escaped his raw throat. Was it so wrong to want to be loved for who he was? James could see her shadow looming in the dimly lit tunnel. She cracked her whip once more as if to taunt him. To let him know that this was his fate. A trophy husband, beaten into submission. What a fool he was, thinking he could outrun fate. The tears started to flow now, and James made no attempt to stop them. He was really going to miss his friends. Hell, he was probably going to miss the twerps and Pikachu, too. He would rather risk a thousand blast-offs than be handed into the hands of Jessebelle. But who he was going to miss most of all was Jessie. Jessie, his best friend, his partner, his other half. His...lover? 

James had never really thought about that before. Sure, years and years of companionship had made them grow fond of each other. Only recently had they started expressing that fondness in romantic affection, however. Did Jessie love him? James looked back on their time together, no matter how many fights, break ups, or blasts offs they had, both eventually came back to one another. A life without Jessie was something he dreaded to imagine. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He didn’t want Jessebelle, he wanted Jessie. And suddenly he realized, he loved her. 

James loved her. He loved waking up to her in the mornings and falling asleep to her fiery tirades about Pikachu and everything in between. He loved her indigo eyes and the way they sparkled before she planted a kiss onto his cheek. He loved seeing her smile, even if he had to put himself through the most embarrassing of situations just to see it. He loved exploring the world with Jessie by his side and even if they hardly made it by, they still had each other. And he wouldn’t trade this life away for all the money in the world. 

And he wasn’t about to let some stuck-up bitch take it away from him. So, James wiped his face with his sleeve and stood up to face Jessebelle. If he were to lose, well then let it be said that he went with a fight. Just as he saw the edge of her fuchsia dress peek over the corner it was all gone. 

James woke up to a hand shaking him furiously and yelling something he couldn’t quite make out in his groggy state. Slowly, he became aware of Jessie kneeling next to him, with a hand on his shoulder. He met her sapphire eyes and noticed the exhaustion bagging under them. Had Jessie been up all night? Before he could ask, he picked up a floral aroma wafting through the air. He whipped his head around in order to see a mug of hot, steamy tea along with a bowl of rice. His stomach rumbled in response to the delicious smells before him. 

“Tea? How did you get it?” James croaked as he took the cup tentatively into his hands. He sniffed it a few times, trying to make out the blend before shrugging and taking a tiny sip. He let out a tiny groan in relief as the warm liquid soothed his aching throat. 

“A past traveler left a few bags behind. Less talking, more eating. Your fever seems to have gone down, but that doesn’t mean it won't come back”. Jessie said gently, her hand beginning to rub circles into his shoulder. James could really get used to this habit. 

James nodded and hungrily wolfed down the rice, but he took his time with the tea, relishing each drop of the liquid as it slid down his throat. He would have offered some to Jessie, but he wouldn’t want her to get sick again. He shuddered at the thought of having to attend another showcase dressed as Jessilina. But thinking about the showcases brought forth a new train of thought. They were way too far away to have Jessie make the trip to the next showcase alone. But if they waited for him to get better, it would be too late to make it on time. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. James gulped shakily, hoping this would work.

“Jess, I think you and Meowth should go on to Sunyshore City without me”.


End file.
